Hundreds of people waited in line for an hour or more on Tuesday September 4 to pay their respects to the late Lucimarian Roberts, a leader on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast for more than 40 years and the mother of ABC’s “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts.

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home employees tell the Sun-Herald that at least 700 people came to the wake.

A private funeral was scheduled Wednesday, with burial at the Biloxi National Cemetery next to her husband, Col. Lawrence Roberts, who died in 2004.

Lucimarian Roberts was the first black to serve as chairman of the Mississippi State Board of Education.

She died on August 30 at her home in Pass Christian at age 88.

Her children also include New Orleans anchor Sally-Ann Roberts of WWL-TV.